Anti-Flag

Returning to drive one more nail into the corporate American coffin, Anti-Flag's newest effort may be their most mature to date, as well as marking the band's first release on an independent label in several years. Delivering their notorious brand of raised fist political anthems, the Pittsburgh quartet show some growth in their songwriting but at the same time, play it safe by sticking to their typical formula, which tends to comes off as repetitious and tedious at this point. Album opener "Sodom, Gomorrah, Washington D.C. (Sheep in Sheppard's Clothing)" is an all-out, aggressive assault that's followed by the critical "The Economy is Suffering… Let it Die" and "The Gre(A)t Depression," all of which are the disc's best offerings. Unfortunately a majority of tracks from The People or the Gun are forgettable and the album feels rushed, leaving it ultimately flat and uninspired.